Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The first time I ever ate at PF Changs, my friends told me the chicken lettuce wraps were a must.  I noticed everyone around me was ordering them and so I thought why not?  Oh my gosh! They were so good that I ended up ordering them for my appetizer AND my dinner.  I couldn’t get enough of them that night.  I decided to make them at home and so I went online to find a copycat recipe. I added a few of my own things to make them even better.  Now I make them all the time!  I even grow my own Butter Lettuce so I can have them as often as I want! They are so good and so easy to make, I eat them a couple times a week all summer long!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 head butter lettuce (also called Boston Bib)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste

1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.

Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes. 

Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style. Delicious! 

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Attention Subscribers to the Welcome Home Online Blog Magazine:

Attention Subscribers to the Welcome Home Online Blog Magazine:

If you are a subscriber to the Welcome Home online magazine then you will want to read this update. There is good news about the magazine that will begin again for another year this coming month.
That's right....we are beginning a new year and it's now time to renew your subscription for more recipes to come!

I have a great new change that I think you'll love! There will no longer be a monthly magazine. It will be a daily/weekly/monthly magazine. What does that mean you ask?

It means you will no longer have to wait each month for a new issue to arrive. The magazine will have new recipes added randomly all throughout the entire year. You may get a new recipe every day. Or you may get a new recipe on Monday and another on Tuesday....and then 3 new recipes on Wednesday and more the following week. It will be an ongoing Magazine Blog filled with new recipes, tips, hacks, kitchen gadgets and more all the time...not just once a month.

The important thing is that when you renew your subscription, you NEVER lose the 600+ recipes that are in the magazine now. Those are yours for as long as you renew your subscription each year. I am sure you have made some of the recipes in the magazine, maybe copied them or printed them out. They will always be there as long as you renew your subscription each year. On the other hand, if you choose not to renew, your address link will expire and you will no longer have access to the magazine.

The price will be the same at $24 annually to renew ($2.00 a month) and nothing changes. You will continue to access the magazine just as you do now. You will still have the same 600+ recipes you have now PLUS you will continue to get more new recipes for another full year.

How to renew:

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4. Simple as that. Your subscription will renew for another year!
The deadline to renew will be July 10th at midnight.

If you were given a free subscription by another member, please message me and let me know so that I can see if we have any subscription donations left.

We will be emailing and messaging reminders out to all our subscribers as we move closer to the deadline. But it's best to go ahead and get your renewal in early.

Jalapeno Poppers

Today is Mexican Food here at Welcome Home and what says Mexican food better than jalapeno peppers!   Jalapeno Poppers to be exact!  I make mine stuffed with cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack and sometimes cream cheese and bacon. Then I bread them and fry them for that perfect crispy bite!  Some people blanch them first; some people bake them first that’s up to you.  If you like a crunch to your peppers, then don’t do either.  But whatever you do, make sure you wear gloves when you make them and keep your hands away from your face!

Jalapeno Poppers

6-8 jalapenos, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds and stems removed

4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 cup panko bread crumbs

oil for frying

Clean your peppers and remove the stems. Slice each pepper down one side and scoop out the core and remove all of the seeds.  You will need to decide whether or not you want to soften them before you stuff and fry them.  If you want a soft pepper on the inside with a crunchy outside, then roast your peppers at in a preheated 450 degree oven until browned on all sides.  Then remove and cool before stuffing them.

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese and cheddar cheese until blended. Stuff each of the peppers with the cheese. Then put the two halves together. The stuffing mixture should hold them together well.

Set up your dredging station with three shallow bowls.  Add salt and pepper to flour. Mix the beaten egg with milk.  Next add the milk to one bowl and the flour and breadcrumbs to the other two.  Dredge the peppers in the seasoned flour, dip them in the egg and milk mixture, and dredge them in the bread crumbs.  I like to repeat this same process a second time so I have a nice thick coating and the cheese doesn’t come out when you fry them.

To fry the poppers:  Fill a heavy skillet (I use my cast iron skillet) with about 2-3 inches of oil.  Heat on medium high heat until it reaches a temperature of 350 degrees. Fry just a few peppers at a time until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers to a sheet pan lined with paper.  Continue to fry the peppers, making sure your oil is at the 350 degrees for each batch.

To Bake the poppers:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the stuffed breaded poppers onto a greased sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes or until brown.  Sprinkle with additional salt.

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Steak and Shrimp Fajitas

I am such a fan of Mexican food. But I am not always a fan of all the red and green peppers that go into making them.  So sometimes I just like to make my own and keep it simple. Making your own fajitas is simple and you can add whatever you like.  These are my favorite surf and turf fajitas. Tender marinated shrimp sauteed with onions and steak.  Oh My! 

Steak and Shrimp Fajitas

Shrimp Marinade

12 medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined with tails removed

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coriander

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

Mix ingredients together in a large plastic resealable bag and add shrimp. Refrigerate for about one hour.

Steak Marinade

1 lb flank steak (or flat iron or skirt steak)

Juice of one lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup cilantro

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag. Add steak and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.  Remove steak from bag and shake off excess marinade. Next, slice the steak across the grain in thin strips. 

Fajitas

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tbsp  olive oil, divided   

Salt and pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese 

8  (6 to 8 inch) flour tortillas

sour cream

1 cup  refrigerated guacamole

2  limes, cut into 6 wedges

Red, green, yellow bell peppers and other vegetables (optional)

In a heavy skillet set on medium high heat, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil until it starts to smoke lightly.  Add onions and saute until caramelized.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Add steak and saute for  3 to 4 minutes or until medium-rare and well browned on surface. Remove steak to a plate and tent with aluminum foil.  If you would like to add peppers or any other vegetable, now would be the time to do it.  Just saute them until tender in the same skillet once steak has been removed.

In a large skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Remove shrimp from bag and discard marinade.  Sauté shrimp until they turn pink and tender and heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove shrimp to plate and cover with foil.

To build fajitas, first warm them in a skillet over very low heat. Divide meat and shrimp mixture equally among tortillas.  Add sauteed vegetables, sour cream, guacamole, fresh salsa, shredded lettuce, cheese, or whatever filling you like.  Fold tortillas in half and enjoy! 

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The New June Issue of the Welcome Home Online Blog Magazine is Here!

The new June issue of the Welcome Home Online Blog Magazine was released this morning for your viewing pleasure! You'll love this "Best Of Welcome Home Recipes" issue, featuring my award winning Maryland Crab Cakes, my Mom's delicious Sugar Cream Pie, my popular Meatball Rotini Casserole and many more of my favorites!

If you are not yet a subscriber, subscribe today and get over 650 Welcome Home Recipes with many more to come! Each month you'll find 30-35 new recipes all with beautiful full color photos ready for you to print out or save for later! All for only $2 a month!

And as an added bonus, when you subscribe, you will be invited to be a member of the exclusive Welcome Home Fan Club on Facebook where you'll find even more recipes and kitchen tips and cooking lessons.

Click here for more information on how to subscribe: http://www.welcome-home-blog.net/p/my-store.html

Shrimp and Green Beans with Garlic Sauce

I love this recipe! It's one of those that I figured out how to make after ordering at my favorite Chinese restaurant. It took me a few times to get it just right...but I finally figured out the ingredients I needed and now it's just perfect. Tender, succulent shrimp in a rich garlic sauce with fresh green beans that have just enough snap. Delish! Click on photo for drool mode!

Shrimp and Green Beans 

5 tablespoons of butter or margarine
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
1 cup rice, uncooked
1 lb large shrimp, cleaned and tails removed
1/2 pound of fresh green beans
1 tablespoon cornstarch for thickening
Salt & pepper to taste
pinch of Garlic powder

In a saute pan over Medium heat melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, add chopped garlic and saute until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add scallions and saute for 1-2 additional minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the water and 1/4 cup of chicken broth into a small sauce pan. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, throw in the rice, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Mixed sauted garlic and scallions into the rice with a fork, fluffing up the rice as you do this. Keep covered until you are ready to serve. Taste for salt & pepper, season as needed.

In a large saute pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter over Medium-High heat, add the other 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Toss in the shrimp and green beans and saute until shrimp is just pink in color. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic powder then sprinkle cornstarch over it all, giving it a good mix. Sauce should bubble and become slightly thick as the shrimp heats through and the dish’s flavor come together.

To serve, place a large spoonful of rice on the plate, cover with the shrimp & green beans, then drizzle remaining pan sauce over each plate.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

Shrimp Fried Rice

I love making my own shrimp fried rice because I can decide what I want in it. Some people put far more into it than I do...like scrambled eggs and bean sprouts. I like it just like this!

Shrimp Fried Rice

1 pound medium uncooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup of chopped onion

1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped

5 cups left-over cold rice,

1 cup frozen carrots and peas, defrosted

2 tablespoons soy sauce (more if needed)

1½ teaspoon sesame oil

In a medium bowl, mix the shrimp, cornstarch, salt and pepper and set aside. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When oil is hot and begins to sizzle, add the shrimp and cook for about a minute on each side stirring constantly. Remove to bowl when shrimp just begins to turn pink.

 Add another tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and when hot, add the onion and the green onions and cook until fragrant and tender.  Then add the rice and mix well. Spread rice evenly over the pan and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stir and saute another 1 to 2 minutes. Rice should sizzle.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of soy sauce over rice and stir well. Add sesame oil and vegetables and mix well. Add cooked shrimp to the pan and mix well. Continue to cook until the rice is hot, stirring frequently. Add more soy sauce to taste, if desired.

Photographs are copyright and owned by ©Welcome Home.